In a man's world

Chef Manisha Bhasin goes candid about her life in the culinary world, which almost amasses almost three decades.

When Aman cooked moong dal for the family, it was yummy to the extreme that his parents encouraged him to become a chef, but when his sister, Munni cooked aalo-gobhi ki sabzi, the parents were less appreciative of it and added that it was her duty to cook for the house. Time goes by, however, even today the ideology is still stuck in the heads even today.

But, despite all the barriers and societal pressures, there are some who beat the odds and all it takes is a glaze of hard work with a pinch of dedication and a couple of tablespoons of will power making a perfect recipe for success in the long run. Manisha Bhasin, senior executive chef at the ITC Maurya, proved this recipe.

When asked about how has her career in the culinary world been, which is more than two decades, she says, “I have found the experience in the culinary industry extremely positive and encouraging and have worked in an atmosphere where one gets equal opportunities to showcase the talent. It is led purely by the ability and passion and not the gender.”

Her inclination to cooking was due to the fact that it is a highly creative field and one gets to experiment with various flavours and textures, she says and adds, “I was always inclined towards creative fields and the food ingredients by their sheer colour, texture and flavours gives the opportunity to create a food canvas which can be new every day. being a chef also gives one an overall perspective towards many facets.”

It is very interesting to know that even at such a stage in her life, she still finds the same passion and zing even now. Her mantra of success is, “Everyday think of one good idea a day and try to come up with a product that creates a WoW.”

There has been the saying, "When a man cooks, he should be a chef" but in the case of women, it is always said it is her responsibility.

When asked about her thoughts on the saying whether it has changed in recent times, she says, “It has changed a lot. Our Hotels itself has the largest brigade of lady chefs across our hotels Pan India. That itself speaks of the organisation's belief in giving equal opportunities.”

She then goes on to add, “When I started my career almost three decades ago, I was given an equal platform to showcase the abilities and I believe it is also individuals passion to excel which eventually makes one achieve one's goals.  At ITC Hotels we have creche existing for almost 30 years, a great facility for all working mothers. Today this is being followed by many corporates as it is a great way to retain talent.”

She concluded the conversation with a tip for all budding chefs saying, “Stay true to your cuisine, do not try to put too many things on the plate. Keep the ingredients and cuisine pure and avoid fusion. Explore the ingredients, food culture and cuisine our country has to offer.”